Twenty-One Justice
TWENTY-ONE
Justice
For a smart woman, sometimes Ella is way too reckless.
What was she thinking heading into the forest with armed men all around her?
Her sense of self-preservation isn’t nearly what I expect.
Plus, somebody shot a fucking missile at my place with her in the kitchen.
I’m not sure who was the intended target. Could’ve been both of us.
I truly thought she’d behave herself tonight. The little brat.
She stomps inside my house and kicks off her boots, flinging mud. The woman is a mess. Leo follows her, looks around, and makes a beeline to hop on my sofa. He snuggles down and starts snoring instantly. Apparently fleeing my place took a toll on him.
“Go take a shower,” I order, needing to check in with my men.
Ella huffs, turning to face me squarely.
A knock sounds behind me and I turn, opening the door to find Wynd. He’s dressed in jeans and a dark shirt, no doubt patrolling the property. “I’m sorry to bother you, but I just got off the phone.”
Ella sneezes behind me. If she caught a cold from running from me in the forest, she’ll regret it. “Go take a shower,” I order. Again. “What call, Wynd?”
He keeps his gaze focused on me and not the disobedient brat by the sofa.
“Since we’re having shipping problems, I’ve been in touch with the Kayrs operation, and they have some alexandrite.
” Wynd winces, his deep eyes darkening as he avoids looking at Ella.
“They’re willing to make a deal but want a stake in Malice Media in exchange. ”
I bark out a laugh. “Dage is messing with you. If the Kayrs family wanted into the social media game, they’d already be in it.
” Their powerful family has been around as long as mine, if not longer, and they stay out of the public light.
Always. I wonder idly if they’re making a move with the missile and then quickly discard the thought.
Dage Kayrs would come at me in full sight.
“Return his call, tell him I’m dealing with some shit, and ask what he really wants. ”
Wynd shrugs. “Dage is out of the country, and I’ve been dealing with Talen.”
Just great. Talen is Dage’s younger brother.
I’ve never quite figured out their business structure, but after meeting Talen once, I figure he’s the enforcer like I am.
If they want somebody dead, Talen seems like he’d do the killing and grab an ice cream cone on the way home.
Though, he’s smart. It’s possible they want to know more about crystals and how to charge them.
Something tells me the Kayrs family could do it.
“That guy would rather have his kidneys removed with a rusty butter knife than deal with social media.” That much I can surmise.
“He’s messing with you and just wants money and not a social media platform. Probably a lot of money. Make a deal.”
“Okay.”
Ella sneezes into her arm.
“Bless you,” Wynd says.
I glance at her. We’ve been in the rain a lot lately. “Go take a hot shower.”
Wynd shuffles his feet. “Kaz also called in, and there’s some chatter about Ella’s unknown whereabouts coming from Rosalie Mooncrest. Alexei isn’t involved yet, but …”
“Got it. Thanks.” I shut the door and turn to face Ella. “Apparently you need to call your friend again and do a better job reassuring her this time. After you shower.” I look pointedly at the mud she’s dripping on the wood floor.
She shocks the shit out of me and punches me right in the gut. Oh, her fist glances off. But my temper still explodes.
“Fine.” I drop my shoulder and lift her over it, allowing her to land hard and lose the air in her lungs.
“I’ll put you in the shower myself.” The brat bunches her legs up, shoving her knees into my chest. I’m so over her attitude.
I plant my hand on her ass. Hard. Once and then again.
Her yelp is way too satisfying. Yeah, no doubt she’s sore from both spankings.
Just what will it take to tame this wildcat?
“I promise my hand will outlast your butt, so you might want to try a different tactic.” I stride through the house and up the stairs to my suite, kicking open the door and moving into the bathroom.
The place is all stone and wood with garnet and obsidian accents. I feel the power from both gems as I walk in, reach inside and twist the shower faucet, and ignore the struggling bundle over my shoulder. She’s too small to go around punching people in the gut.
Appealing, though. She’s fucking adorable with an exaggerated sense of her physical abilities.
I’m starting to worry about her, and that won’t do.
Oh, mentally she’s deadly. But physically she needs to learn not to punch people twice her size.
I give her one more smack to the ass and flip her over, settling her inside the spray.
One swipe of my hand has the shirt over her head, and I easily yank down the jeans, which she kicks toward me.
They land in a wet slop at my feet outside the shower.
I can’t help but stare. Her eyes have gone a cerulean blue with temper as the water washes the mud from her tight body.
High tits, pink nipples, toned abs. Probably earned running away from computer system facilities she’s hacked.
Her skin is smooth and toned, and her legs long for her small body. I should leave her alone.
Then she punches me again. Aiming lower this time.
Shit. I slap her wrist away from my junk before she can make contact. “Damn it.” I step inside and push her against the far wall. “Fine. You obviously need assistance.” I tear off my shirt, kick my boots off, and rip off my jeans to follow them.
She leans against the dark stone wall, her breath panting, eyes darkening, cheeks pinkening. There’s anger in those eyes—hunger, too. She doesn’t want to want me … but she does.
I can work with that. “Stop trying to hurt me.” I move into her, lifting her up against the wall.
Her small gasp wisps between us. “You’re not big enough or strong enough, and baby, I promise you’re not actually mean enough.
” Oh, she’s more than happy to punch me in the dick, but I don’t think she’s an actual killer.
The more I’m around her, the more I believe that she didn’t mean to nearly end Thorn.
Although, I think she’s fine with causing one of us to become sick.
To have an irritating allergic reaction.
“Now. Here’s your one chance.” I try to gentle my voice.
She’s been through a lot the last couple of days, the spankings the least of it.
“Promise you’ll behave, and I’ll put you down, wash my hair, and leave you to have a nice and steamy shower. ”
My cock is painfully hard between us and now yelling at me. But I won’t lie to her. God, she’s pretty. Beautiful, even.
Her head goes back against the stone wall and she looks down her pert nose at me. “I don’t see why you think you’re in charge.”
Surprise tickles through me. I nearly smile. “I’m the kidnapper. The kidnapper is always in charge.”
“That’s faulty logic.”
“Faulty? I don’t see how.”
She arches a brow, water streaming over her lashes like she’s some smug queen on a throne. “If you really had control, you wouldn’t need to argue your case. The fact that you’re trying to prove it means you’re insecure.”
I huff a laugh. “Cute. You should stop challenging me.”
“Somebody has to,” she fires back. “Otherwise you’ll think it’s okay to stomp around the forest spanking people.”
My grin slips before I can stop it. “Careful, brat. You’re making it sound like you enjoy the attention.”
Her lips twitch, betraying her even as she tries to glare. “Don’t flatter yourself.”
“Not flattery. Observation.” I lean just close enough to watch the water bead on her mouth.
Her naked body is way too close to mine, and my heart starts to thunder.
A craving slakes through me, and my voice roughens.
If she keeps challenging me, this isn’t going to end with her having a relaxing time in the shower.
“You put yourself in danger, you get spanked. It’s easy math. ”
She blinks. Once and again. “Don’t act like you care if I’m in danger. You were just pissed you had to follow me into the muddy forest.”
I pause and study her. That’s hurt. There’s definite hurt in her eyes, and she’s trying to mask it.
Not from the spanking. Not from me. The wound goes deeper than that.
When was the last time somebody actually protected Ella Rendale?
I’m sure Rosalie and Alana try, but considering they’re both tangled up with mob bosses, I don’t believe they have the best instincts.
Even if one of those bosses is my brother.
“I do care and truly thought you’d stay here safely tonight. I don’t want you hurt.”
She swallows and her gaze drops to my mouth before meeting mine. “Don’t.” Her voice quivers just slightly.
Interesting. Standing like this surrounded by steam and actually talking instead of fucking is getting tedious. I turn and drop us onto the bench with her straddling me, soft thighs sliding along mine. If she just lifts up and moves a bit forward, my dick could slam right home. “Don’t what?”
Her hands flatten on my chest, and even that slight touch nearly sends me feral. “Play with me.”
“I’d love to play with you.” I lean down, my nose nearly touching hers.
“But I’ll never lie to you. Or manipulate you.
” She deserves better than that, and I don’t have the fucking time to mess around.
“You’re right that I don’t like disobedience, from anybody, but you got spanked because you put yourself in a dark forest surrounded by men with guns while having no idea where the fuck you were, especially when you intimated that you’d stay where I put you.
You didn’t. That’s stupid and dangerous. ”
“So you care,” she challenges, her lower lip barely protruding.
I’m trying not to take a bite out of that lip. “Yes.”